Radon gas

[Kasey]

Several years ago we tested and got a basement reading of 4. Our sump system has 1 1/2" rock laid on the inside perimeter footings. It has one sump reservoir with two 4" openings on each side to complete the loop. I attached 4" metal duct to one of the 4" openings and then turned up thru the cover opening. I then added an in-line fan on a timer, then up to the joist area and then outside with a louver cover. I tested again after putting this in and got a 1.5 reading. Took about 4 hours and $100 materials.

 

[guywhofishes]

did you test level of radon first?

yes - constant monitoring with airthing wave

varied between 5 and 11 prior to install

hovers around 1 now, depending on wind, windows, barometer

I used smallest fan - could upgrade when this one $hits the bed

 

[eyexer]

Wow that’s amazing

 

[guywhofishes]

loaned our Airthings Wave to the neighbor

it's showing 31.2

yeesh

 

[JayKay]

I don't know any more about this, other than the house was tested before we bought it.

What are the symptoms though, with high levels of radon? All I hear is that it can be deadly. What level is bad? What level is really bad? What can one expect, with exposure to radon? What level is deadly?

Sounds like 31.5 could be deadly.

---------------------------------------------

Nevermind. Levels of 4 or higher are not good. Loss of energy, sore throat, persistent cough. Loss of appetite and weight loss.

Thank you Google.

 

[guywhofishes]

I don't know any more about this, other than the house was tested before we bought it.

What are the symptoms though, with high levels of radon? All I hear is that it can be deadly. What level is bad? What level is really bad? What can one expect, with exposure to radon? What level is deadly?

Sounds like 31.5 could be deadly.

There's a case in Casselton a few years ago that was in the 100s I think and a woman died.

It's kinda like smoking - you're upping your odds of death the more you smoke.

The radon scrambles DNA in your cells and your body makes repairs (hopefully). It's sort of a probabilities thing - the more scrambling followed by repairs your body has to make - the higher the chance it won't be successful. Eventually cancer DNA survives the repair and cancer gets a foothold.

They've lived in this house for decades. : (

They might live to be 100 - or could get diagnosed tomorrow.

I'd fix that sucker ASAP myself. I didn't like 6-10 in my house so I fixed it.

- - - Updated - - -

ours was tested at time of purchase and it was on the cusp

but levels change depending on whether your house is being heated or not. Heating your house makes it act like a chimney (hot air rises) - so it draws/pulls on the surrounding ground and is better able to bring in radon which is mixed in with the air in the pore spaces of the soil surrounding your house

so Radon can actually change with the seasons, whether lots of windows were open (like during MOVING), etc.